Method of making wheel structures



March 7, 1939. J. w. TATTER 2,150,111

METHOD OF MAKING WHEEL STRUCTURES Original Filed Feb. 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l I I llIIIIIIIIIIIII/I/I/IIIII Iv VEN ml? 78ml Ml. 71 7715,?

(lttor g March 7, 1939. J. w. TATTER I METHOD OF MAKING WHEEL STRUCTURES Original Filed Feb. 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 I METHOD or MAKING WHEEL STRUCTURES John W. Tatter, Akron, Ohio, assignor, by mesne assignments, to The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application February 20, 1936, Serial No. 64,843. Divided and this application June 5,

1936, Serial No. 83,651

4 Claims.

This invention relates to wheel structures and to methods of making the same, and more especially it relates to vehicle wheel structures such as are made of metal and comprise rim's for pneumatic tires thereon, and to improved procedure for making such wheels.

The invention is of especial utility in the manufacture of metal wheels of the type known as disc wheels which, as heretofore constructed, have comprised individual discs and tire rims, the latter being either removably or permanently attached to the discs.

The chief objects of this invention are to provide improved procedure for the manufacture of rim and disc structures of the character mentioned, and to provide improved attaching means for securing said structures to a hub. Other objects will be manifest.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a transverse section of an elongate metal strip or shape from which the improved wheel structures are made;

Figure 2 is a section of a finished wheel structure taken on the line 2--2 of Figure 3;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of a finished wheel structure;

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 2 showing a dual arrangement of the improved wheel structure; and

Figure 5 is a detail sectional View, on a larger scale, showing the improved nut and washer used for attaching the improved wheel structure to a hub, before said nut and washer are tightcned to final position.

This application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial Number 64,843, filed February 20, 1936.

Referring to Figures 2 and 3 of the drawings, the improved wheel comprises a hub structure II] that may include a brake drum II formed integral therewith, and a one-piece rim and disc structure I2 mounted thereon and secured thereto by a plurality of bolts I3, I3. The rim portion of the wheel structure carries a removable, endless or transversely split side ring I4 of the usual or desired type. The rim and disc structure I2 is annularand comprises a substantially cylindrical tire-receiving portion I6 that is formed with a radially outwardly extending flange H on one margin thereof for engaging one bead portion of a tire (not shown) that may be mounted upon tire-rim portion. At the opposite side of the cylindrical rim portion of the structure there is formed a circumferential, depressed gutter. I8 bordered on one side by a circumferential rib I9, the removable side ring I4 normally seating upon said rib and extending partly into said gutter. Laterally of the rib IS the structure curves radially inwardly, and therebeyond is formed in a reverse curve at 20 that terminates in an inner peripheral portion 2| disposed parallel to the plane of the structure, but spaced somewhat laterally of the rim portion I6 thereof. The radially inwardly extending portion of the structure constitutes the disc portion thereof, and this portion is formed with a circumferential series of apertures 22, 22 that permit the passage of air through the wheel whereby cooling of the brake drum is efiected.

When the structure I2 is mounted upon the hub ID, the inner peripheral portion 2| laterally abuts a laterally facing disc-seat formed on said hub, said disc-seat including a laterally projecting rib 23 that fits snugly within the inner perimeter of portion 2| of structure I2. The bolts I3 that secure structure I2 to hub II] include nuts 24, each of which has a normally concavo-convex spring washer 25 iwiveled onto an axially projecting flange 26 formed on the nut, said flange having its end portion peened over so as to retain the washer in permanent association with the nut. The construction is such that the wheel structure always is tightly secured to the hub, the spring of the washers taking up any looseness of the nuts.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5 two identical rim and disc structures I2 are mounted in dual arrangement upon a single hub 28. The latter is very similar to hub Ii) of the previously described embodiment, but preferablyis more rugged than the latter and has a laterally projecting flange 29 of sufficient Width to engage the inner perimeter of both structures I2. The structures I2 are mount-' ed upon the hub 28 in reverse position, that is, the inner peripheral portions 2I of the respective structures abut each other, and the removable rings I4 are adjacent each other. Because the portions 2I of the structures I2 are disposed laterally of the rim portions I6 thereof, the latter are thereby spaced apart sufficiently so that the tire on one rim will not be in contact with ofproperlengthtoformasinsleannuisrwheel structure, and thereafter each ofsaid sectionsis bent into circular formand'its ends weldedtogethertoi'ormanannulus. is a cold rolling operation wherein the annulus isrolledtoanintermediateshape. Inthisopera tion that portion of the annulus that includes theflangelloftheiinishedstructureisstretched outwardly sufllciently to form the cylindrical rim portion of the finished structure, the

opposite-side of the annulus being inwardly bent from the central region laterally of the rib II, as indicated in broken lines in Figure 2; The flnal shaping of the structure is accomplished. by a cold pressing operation that presses disc portion of the structure into the ultimate shape shown in full lines in the drawings. Subsequently the apertures 22 and holes for bolts-"are punched in the disc and the inner perimeter thereofcutaccurately to proper size.

The invention provides a wheel structure that is more economically manufactured than those of which rim and disc are individually constructed. The wheel structures may be used alternatively for single or dual use, and the permanently associated nuts and spring washers assure parting from the spirit of the invention that the connection between hub and disc structure will not readily loosen, and that nuts and washers will not separate and more easily be lost. v

Modification may be' resorted to without descope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The method of making wheel structures consisting of unitary tire rim and disc portions which comprises hot rolling a straight length of metal strip into the transverse shape of a transversely curved tire rim with a lateral extension of substantially its own width on one of its margins,

[ shaping the straight strip into an annulus with the transversely concave side of the strip innermost and thereafter joining the abutting ends thereof, cold rollingthe annular structure and thereby moving the transverselycurved portion,

of the tire-rim structure radially outwardly. to cylindrical form and moving theiateral extension thereof obliquely inwardly to an intermediate position, and thereafter forcing the lateral extension, by cold pressing the same, to a position extending radially inward from the said rim portion.

2. The method ofmaking wheel structures consisting. of unitary tire-rim and flanged supporting portions which comprises, hot rolling a straight metal blank and thereby simultaneously forming a plane portion along? one marginal edge, a relatively still tire-retaining-ring gutter at the inner extremity of said plane portion, and

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or the rimbasethat'extendsfromthetopogsaidm 'ul withthedowlwarfiinciinedpostion mm i"'|" olg a fire-retaining flange'at thesmallendthereof and thereafter ioining the abuttingends thereof, and then cold-rolling the annular structure and there y expanding said base portion and moving said plane marginal portion to cylindrical shape radially in-. ward while maintainingsaid stifl' gutter in substantially its originalshape and sills;

3. The method of making wheel structures consisting of unitary tire-rim porting portions which comprises hot rolling a straight metal blank and therebysimultaneousiy forming a plane portion along of, a relatively stifl tire-retaining-ringgutt'er at the inner extremity of said plane portion, and a downwardly inclined portion constituting the rim base which extends from the top of said gutter and terminates in an upstanding tire retaining flange, shaping the straight blank into an annulus having a frust'o-conical portion with the tire-retaining flange on the'small end thereof and thereafter uniting the abutting ends thereof, .cold rolling the annular structure and thereby expanding said rim base to cylindrical shape and moving said originally plane marginal portion obliquely inward while maintaining said stilt gutter substantially in its original annular size and shape, and thereafter cold .tion of said' obliquely extending structure into parallelism with the annulus of the rim portion.

4. The method of making wheel Structures constisting of unitary tire-rim and flanged supporting portions which straight metal blank and thereby simultaneously forming a relatively heavy, stifl. gutter portion for mounting a d'emountable tire-retaining ring, a plane portion on one side of said butter por tion, and a downwardly inclined portion on the other side of said butter portion and terminating in an upstanding marginal tire-retaining flange, thereafter circling the the abutting ends thereof to produce an annular structure having a frusto-conical portion with the tire-retaining flange on the small end thereof, cold rolling the structure and thereby expanding the portion having said tire retaining flange and thus forming a rim base of cylindrical shape, and contracting said originally plane portion and thereby providing an annular inwardly extending supporting flange, while maintaining said stifl gutter portion substantially in its original annular shape and size.

JOHN W. TA'I'I'ER.

tire flange and its and ilanged'suponemarginth pressing a my.

blank and uniting 

